Speak Out Against Mountaintop-Removal Coal Mining

Mountaintop-removal coal mining (MTR) literally levels the tops of mountains to extract the coal underneath, dumping the leftover debris as “fill” into surrounding streams and waterways. It’s a form of mining that devastates communities and ecosystems, and imperils the rich Appalachian culture – and that’s before we even talk about the climate-change effects of all that burning coal and deforestation.

It becomes a deadly lose-lose situation when you add in the enormous amounts of toxic waste generated by both coal-mining and coal-burning, and left behind in “coal slurry” ponds, filled with carcinogenic compounds and toxic heavy metals. These ponds sometimes leak or collapse, fouling local rivers and streams and contaminating ground water.

Green America, along with our allies at MoxyVote, are taking on Alpha Natural Resources and Arch Coal, two companies engaged in destructive mountaintop-removal coal mining in Appalachia. You can add your voice to our letter, asking them to stop MTR, and embrace renewable energy.